JPH0427021Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention is designed to accommodate a tape cassette that is smaller than a standard type, for example, which is too small to be directly attached to a standard type video tape recorder. The present invention relates to small tape cassettes which require, for example, an adapter for use in a device, and more particularly to small tape cassettes with securely locked lids.

(Prior Art) It is well known that standard-sized tape cassettes are generally used in recording and reproducing apparatuses such as video tape recorders (VTRs). It is also well known that in recent years, compact tape cassettes have been developed that are capable of recording and reproducing while maintaining compatibility with equipment that uses this standard type tape cassette.

This type of small tape cassette is recorded and played back by a recording/playback device exclusively for small tape cassettes, but when used with a recording/playback device that uses a standard type tape cassette, it is possible to use a tape cassette with almost the same shape as the standard type. By storing it in the tape cassette adapter, it can be used in the same way as a standard type tape cassette.

FIG. 7 is an external perspective view of a general small-sized tape cassette, with the lid opened.

The small tape cassette 1 includes a cassette housing 3 that stores a magnetic tape 2 and is composed of an upper half 3A and a lower half 3B with their lids mated together, and a lid body that opens and closes the front opening of the cassette housing 3. 4 are supported by a pivot 10.

The magnetic tape 2 is normally protected by the cover 4 being closed while being guided by the left and right guide rollers 5, 5 across the opening.
Further, the lid body 4 is clicked by a sliding piece 8 which is biased with sliding force by a leaf spring 11 fitted into a U-shaped recess 9 formed at the front of one side of the cassette housing 3. The configuration is such that a lid open position and a lid closed position are set.

When this small tape cassette 1 is used in a device exclusively for small tape cassettes (not shown), by inserting this small tape cassette 1 to a predetermined position in the device, the lid body 4 is rotated to a substantially horizontal position.
Thereafter, by lowering the small tape cassette 1, for example, the supply side reel hub 6 fits into the supply reel feather, and the gear portion 7a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the take-up reel hub 7 meshes with the drive gear of the device. Recess 3 on the opening side of cassette housing 3
The recording and reproducing apparatus is installed with the vertical and inclined loading poles and capstan of the apparatus respectively inserted into the spaces a, 3b and 3c.

In addition, when this small tape cassette 1 is used by being attached to a standard type recording/reproducing device, as mentioned above, it has the same shape as the standard type tape cassette as shown in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-37739. It is used while being stored in the adapter storage section.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) By the way, the small tape cassette 1 with the above configuration
does not have its own locking device for the lid 4, so if the lid 4 is opened beyond a predetermined angle, it will easily open due to the elastic force of the leaf spring 11, and as a result, the magnetic tape 2 The signal recording surface of the tape is exposed to the outside, and if dust or the like adheres to the signal recording surface, the tape may be damaged, and stable recording and reproduction cannot be performed. In order to eliminate such drawbacks, for example, if this small tape cassette is equipped with a well-known locking mechanism for the lid body, such as that used in standard type tape cassettes, a locking mechanism for unlocking this locking mechanism is required. Since a lock release means is required on the device side, a dedicated recording/playback device that uses this small tape cassette or an adapter for use with a standard type recording/playback device must be equipped with a dedicated lock release means. Not only will it no longer be possible to use it with current devices dedicated to small cassettes that do not have lock release means, and compatibility will not be maintained, but the mechanisms of each device will become complex and the number of parts will increase. There was a problem.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional tape cassettes. The cassette housing 3
A small tape cassette in which a lid body 4 that covers a tape path of a predetermined length formed on the front surface of the tape cassette is rotatably supported, and the lid body is always biased with rotational force in the direction of closing the lid by an elastic member 19. 4, and a fixing part 18a fixed to the cassette housing 3.
and a through hole 1 formed in the side surface of the cassette case.
A locking member 18 that is integrally formed and capable of elastic displacement is provided with a pressing portion 18d that protrudes outward from the side surface of the cassette casing via a cassette 6, and a locking portion 18e that locks the lid 4. The locking member 18 is disposed inside the cassette housing 3, and the closed lid 4 is locked by the locking portion 18e of the locking member 18.
On the other hand, when the cassette case is attached to the adapter and the holder of the dedicated device, the pressing part 18d is pressed against the inner wall of each of the cassettes, and the lid is closed by the locking part 18e. To provide a small tape cassette characterized in that the body 4 is unlocked.

(Example) Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway external perspective view of the main part showing the closed state of the lid of the small tape cassette according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a partial external perspective view showing the lid in an open state;
Fig. 3 is an external perspective view of the lock member, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lock member.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the locking member taken along the line - in the figure.

Note that the same parts as those of the small tape cassette shown in FIG. 7 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the small tape cassette 12 has a rectangular cylindrical portion 13 with a support pin 14 erected inside one side 15 near the lid 4 of the upper half 3A. A through hole 16 is bored in the center of the side surface 15.

Further, a locking hole 17 is bored in the lid body 4 at a position approximately at the same height as the through hole 16.

A lock piece 18 is supported by a support pin 14 provided on the upper half 3A, and its specific structure is shown in FIG. That is, the locking piece 18 serving as the locking member is integrally molded of, for example, synthetic resin, and has a fixing part 18a formed with a gripping part 18c for gripping the support pin 14 at the upper end, and a fixing part 18a formed with the gripping part 18c for gripping the support pin 14 on one side. A lying part 18 having a protruding pressing part 18d and a locking part 18e that engage with the through hole 16 of the half 3A and the locking hole 17 of the lid body 4, respectively.
b is formed into a substantially L-shape.
Note that 18f is a thin portion formed in a continuous portion between the fixed portion 18a and the lying portion 18b, and the thin portion 18f allows the lying portion 18b to be elastically displaced.

Here, to explain how to attach the lock piece 18 to the cassette case 3, first, when the lid body 4 is not attached to the cassette case 3,
Hold the gripping portion 18c of the lock piece 18 on the support pin 14.
By rotating the support pin 14 clockwise while engaged with the support pin 14, the fixed part 18a comes into contact with the wall surface of the cylindrical part 13 with its back surface, and the support pin 14 and the cylindrical part 13 are connected to each other. The pressing part 18d is clamped and fixed inside the cylinder part 13.
protrudes from the inside of the through hole 16 of the upper half 3A to the outside of the side surface 15. Next, the locking portion 18e and the locking hole 1 of the lid body 4 are
At the same time, the lid 4 is attached to the cassette housing 3 with the lid 4 and the cassette housing 3 aligned so that they engage with each other, and the locking portion 18e is locked in the locking hole 17. These are installed in the state shown in FIG.

In addition, 19 in FIG. 1 is a coil spring stretched between the support pin 14 and the locking part of the lid body 4, and the lid body 4 is always kept in the closing direction by the elastic force of this coil spring 19. A biasing force is being applied.

Here, when this small tape cassette 12 is installed in, for example, a standard type recording/reproducing device,
By loading this into the storage part of the adapter (not shown) described above, the pressing part 18d of the lock piece 18 is
is pressed against the inner wall of the adapter and elastically displaces the lying part 18b inward from the thin part 18f as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The engagement state with the stop hole 17 is released and the lid body 4 can be rotated, so that the lid body 4 is subjected to the elastic force of the coil spring 19 by a locking part (not shown) in the adapter. The lid is opened as shown in FIG. Therefore, the internal magnetic tape 2 can of course form a tape path of the same predetermined length as a standard type tape cassette within the adapter, and there is no need to provide a new lock release means for the adapter. Fully compatible with conventional cassettes.

In addition, when this small tape cassette 12 is installed in a dedicated device, the pressing part 18d of the locking piece 18 is pressed against the side wall of the holder (not shown) of the device under the same conditions as when it is stored in the adapter, and the lid body is closed. 4 is released, and the lid body 4 is locked by the locking portion inside the device and opened.

Therefore, even in the case of an apparatus exclusively for small tape cassettes, there is no need to newly provide a lock release means as described above, and sufficient compatibility with conventional cassettes can be maintained.

FIG. 5 is a partial front view showing another embodiment of the small tape cassette according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG.

That is, the lock piece 21 of the small tape cassette 20
is integrally formed into a plate shape of a synthetic resin or the like by a thin fixed part 21a and a displacement part 21b connected to the fixed part 21a. A pressing part 21d inserted into the through hole 22 formed on the side surface and a locking part 21e that locks the protrusion 4a formed on the inner surface of the lid 4.
are each formed protrudingly.

This lock piece 21 has a pressing portion 21d.
By welding the fixing portion 21a to the inside of the cassette housing 3 at the front of the lid 4 side of the cassette housing 3 while protruding into the through hole 22 of the cassette housing 3, as shown in FIG. , is installed as shown in FIG. At the time of this installation, the locking part 2 of the locking piece 21
1e can reliably lock the lid body 4 which is biased in the closing direction by the coil spring 19.
Therefore, when this small tape cassette 20 is not in use, its lid 4 is securely locked by the locking piece 21 as in the above embodiment, and the lid cannot be opened easily, which may damage the magnetic tape inside. There is no such thing. In addition, in this embodiment, the lock piece 2
The fixed part 21a of 1 may be formed by molding integrally with the displacement part 21b using a plate spring made of phosphor bronze or the like, so the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. .

(Effect of the invention) The small tape cassette according to the invention constructed as described above is provided with a locking means that protrudes a pressing part for unlocking from the side surface of the cassette housing, and this cassette can be attached to an adapter or a current dedicated device. The lock can be easily released by simply inserting it into the holder. Therefore, there is no need to provide a special lock release means for the adapter, and the current device is designed specifically for small cassettes that do not have a lock release means. It is possible to maintain compatibility with each other, and it is possible to prevent the mechanical parts of each device from becoming complicated. Furthermore, when the small tape cassette is not in use, the lid does not open easily and therefore does not damage the magnetic tape. Further, this locking member can be attached to the cassette housing by a simple operation, and has practical advantages such as being able to achieve the desired purpose with a small number of parts.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway external perspective view of the main part showing the closed state of the lid of the small tape cassette according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a partial external perspective view showing the lid in an open state;
Fig. 3 is an external perspective view of the lock member, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lock member.
5 is a partial front view showing another embodiment of the small tape cassette according to the present invention; FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bottom of a general small tape cassette. 2...Magnetic tape, 3...Cassette housing, 4...
...Lid body, 12...Small tape cassette, 13...
Cylindrical body, 15...Side surface, 16, 22...Through hole, 17
... Locking hole, 18, 21 ... Lock piece, 18a ...
...Fixing part, 18b... Lying part, 18c... Gripping part, 18d... Pressing part, 18e... Locking part, 18
f...Thin wall portion, 19...Coil spring.

Claims (1)

[Claim for Utility Model Registration] It is smaller than a standard type tape cassette, and is used by being stored in an adapter when installed in a standard type recording/reproducing device. This is a small tape cassette in which a lid body 4 covering a tape path is rotatably supported, and the lid body 4 is always biased with rotational force in the direction of closing the lid by an elastic member 19, and the cassette housing 3 is provided with: Fixed part 18a to be fixed
and a through hole 1 formed in the side surface of the cassette case.
A locking member 18 that is integrally formed and capable of elastic displacement is provided with a pressing portion 18d that protrudes outward from the side surface of the cassette casing via a cassette 6, and a locking portion 18e that locks the lid 4. The locking member 18 is disposed inside the cassette housing 3, and the closed lid 4 is locked by the locking portion 18e of the locking member 18.
On the other hand, when the cassette case is attached to the adapter and the holder of the dedicated device, the pressing part 18d is pressed against the inner wall of each of the cassettes, and the lid is closed by the locking part 18e. A small tape cassette configured to release the lock of the body 4.